Birthday Parties

Throw your child’s next birthday party at Bluff Lake for a unique and memorable experience! Choose from a variety of games and activities led by our environmental educators, or simply explore and play within the natural beauty throughout the site. We can even provide s’mores for your guests to roast at our gas-powered fire pit!

Permission

Contact our Director of Operations, Maggie Willden (maggie@blufflake.org) to reserve a day and time for your party (up to 25 guests). We will reserve one of our gathering locations for you for up to 2.5 hours.

Fee: $50 (+ $10 per additional guest over 25)

Gathering Locations

Bluff Overlook: A space underneath the pergola provides partial shade, benches, and a beautiful view of the site.

Upstairs Shelter. Extended eaves provide protection from the rain and sun, and close proximity to the porta-potties. (No indoor access)

Amphitheater. The outdoor shelter provides protection from sun and rain, and plenty of benches. Located on the lower level near the hiking trails.

S’more Roast

One of our staff members will set up a fire in our gas-powered pit, and bring all the roasting sticks, marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate you need for your guests to craft the perfect s’mores!

Fee: + $100 (45 minutes), + $125 (60 minutes), + $150 (90 minutes)

Nature Games and Activities

One or our experienced environmental educators will lead your guests through the fun lessons, crafts, or games of your choice!

Amenities

There is no running water on site, but there are portapotties, a hand-washing station, and hand sanitizer near the site entrance.

There is no indoor access or electricity.

Basic Setup

We can provide and set up two folding tables, a large cooler of ice water, and a large cooler of lemonade for an additional $50 fee. We will also take them down at the end of the party and help with cleanup.

Length

Your official party must end and be completely cleaned up within 2.5 hours. However, guests are welcome to stay and explore the site until public operating hours end at sunset.

Cleanup

You MUST clean up and leave the site as you found it immediately following the party, or you will be charged an additional $50 fee. There are garbage cans on the upper level, so please bring a garbage bag if your party will be held in the amphitheater on the lower level.

Pets and Bicycles

To respect the wildlife in our refuge, dogs and bikes are NOT ALLOWED on our site. Thank you for supporting our mission to provide a safe and peaceful haven for our native animals!

All ages are welcome for these FREE, fun, and educational drop-in programs! We will have a campfire and s'mores to roast, as well as interactive activities ranging from astronomy to animals to music. Fireside Chats are held the second Thursday evening of each month from March through October (except for April, which is held the first Thursday). The new times for this year are 7:30-9PM in March and April, and 6:30-7:30PM in May through October.

June 11: Animal Anatomy6:30-7:30 pm

See and touch real bones and animal pelts! Learn about the animals that can be found at Bluff Lake, and the way their bodies and habits help them thrive. Look through the collection of small bones we’ve found around the site (cleaned and whitened), and see if you can identify which animal and part of the body they came from. A special guest will also be bringing some of his own specimens for you to look at! You can even look for your own bones during the hike, and take home instructions for how you can clean and whiten them yourselves.

Join our youth education team for FREE monthly themed family days! These drop-in style programs will be held on the last Saturday morning of each month from March through September. The new time for this year will be 9AM-12PM. There will be activities, crafts, scavenger hunts, kids' equipment to borrow for exploration hikes, and visits from live animal guests with Nature's Educators (select months).

Join us for Sunday morning Qigong and a mindfulness walk around Bluff Lake, led by Joann Calabrese, mindfulness and qigong instructor. Group meets at the downstairs Pavilion for Qigong, a gentle mind-body practice that promotes health and vitality as well as focused awareness. The mindfulness walk around Bluff Lake begins around 40 minutes later. Come for either or both!

Program will begin at 7:30 am in March, April and September, and at 7 am May-August.

All ages are welcome for these FREE, fun, and educational drop-in programs! We will have a campfire and s'mores to roast, as well as interactive activities ranging from astronomy to animals to music. Fireside Chats are held the second Thursday evening of each month from March through October (except for April, which is held the first Thursday). The new times for this year are 7:30-9PM in March and April, and 6:30-7:30PM in May through October.

June 11: Animal Anatomy6:30-7:30 pm

See and touch real bones and animal pelts! Learn about the animals that can be found at Bluff Lake, and the way their bodies and habits help them thrive. Look through the collection of small bones we’ve found around the site (cleaned and whitened), and see if you can identify which animal and part of the body they came from. A special guest will also be bringing some of his own specimens for you to look at! You can even look for your own bones during the hike, and take home instructions for how you can clean and whiten them yourselves.

Join our youth education team for FREE monthly themed family days! These drop-in style programs will be held on the last Saturday morning of each month from March through September. The new time for this year will be 9AM-12PM. There will be activities, crafts, scavenger hunts, kids' equipment to borrow for exploration hikes, and visits from live animal guests with Nature's Educators (select months).

Join us for Sunday morning Qigong and a mindfulness walk around Bluff Lake, led by Joann Calabrese, mindfulness and qigong instructor. Group meets at the downstairs Pavilion for Qigong, a gentle mind-body practice that promotes health and vitality as well as focused awareness. The mindfulness walk around Bluff Lake begins around 40 minutes later. Come for either or both!

Program will begin at 7:30 am in March, April and September, and at 7 am May-August.